Perspective: Africa (June 2016) Perspective: Africa (June 2016) | Page 16

Perspective: Africa - June 2016

structures. He had been intimately involved in the establishment of
Amadiba Adventures as a community based eco-tourism initiative. With
funding from the European Union,
it had become a showpiece project,
winning prizes and awards.
In 2005, Nkomba resigned from
Kearsney College and returned to
his beloved home to inspire young
people with his vision. His old
school friend employed him as manager of the Mtentu camp because
the incumbent Velaphi Ndovela was
apparently “presenting problems”
and had been suspended pending a
disciplinary enquiry.

Sinegugu and Qunya as young men
Photo Courtesy: John GI Clarke

between them they became known
as the ‘black’ Madiba and the ‘white’
Madiba, because Nkomba’s complexion was darker.

Nkomba tried hard to realize the
enormous latent potential of Amadiba Adventures, but it soon became
clear that in the intervening fifteen
years Zamile values and priorities
had taken a different path to his.

Always competitive, they graduated from high school in 1989 and as
South African history took a turn for
the better in the tumultuous democratic transition between 1990 and
1994, they became leading members of the local ANC Youth League
branch. Nkomba left home and
enrolled in university with a calling
to become a teacher. He graduated and excelled in his career to the
point of being recruited by the elite
private school Kearsney College outside Durban to teach geography and
history. As part of their extra-curricular activities, Nkomba would take
his learners to Mtentu for outings
during school vacations.
Zamile, the ‘white’ Madiba, opted to stay home and continue to
work within local ANC political

The Two Madibas, now
Photo Courtesy: John GI Clarke

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